Soon after outlasting Cadiz, commonly a difficult opponent for the top rated teams in LaLiga, with a 1- acquire, Barcelona are set to protect the Spotify Camp Nou in the 2nd leg of the Champions League quarterfinals vs. PSG.
Barcelona head into the next fight with the Ligue 1 champions as the crystal clear favorites. They have been previously favored likely into the 1st leg, but with a 3-2 lead on aggregate heading into the home fixture, the odds are in Xavi’s favor.
Here are 5 bold predictions for how this fight concerning Barcelona and PSG could shake out.
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Barcelona will blow out PSG 3-
PSG simply don’t stand a possibility against Barcelona. When the Blaugrana are at their greatest defensively, they are able of shutting any assault down. Past time, they were being historically wonderful defensively with just 20 aims permitted in LaLiga.
Despite the fact that Barcelona have presently surrendered a lot more objectives (34) this year, they have the same essential gamers as they did last 12 months in Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Alejandro Balde, and Ronald Araujo. If anything at all, they are even stronger on paper with Pau Cubarsi breaking out.
Barcelona even now have to have just one a lot more effects player offensively, but with Raphinha rolling and Robert Lewandowski rebounding alongside breakout star Lamine Yamal, there should really be ample firepower to challenge a somewhat very poor PSG protection (at the very least, at the Champions League degree). Judging by Joao Felix’s video game-profitable bicycle kick more than the weekend, there’s extra magic in Barcelona, as well.
Pau Cubarsi will be Gentleman of the Match
Pau Cubarsi experienced a different potent unique effectiveness in Barcelona’s 1- win over Cadiz on Saturday night time. Though Cadiz isn’t the most tough opponent from an attacking viewpoint, Cubarsi nevertheless deserved the plaudits he gained for studying the game like a 10-year veteran and recording 9 clearances in a cleanse general performance.
Through Barca’s 2nd leg triumph more than Napoli in the Champions League Spherical of 16, Pau Cubarsi was arguably the finest player on the pitch and lifted Barca’s spirits.
He is becoming a massive-activity participant, even as a teenage heart back, and he is heading to be the standout participant once again in this pivotal Champions League knockout fixture vs. PSG. Cubarsi is now a hero to Culers.
Kylian Mbappe will ghost again
As element of the PSG shutout display on offense and Cubarsi’s Guy of the Match-caliber display screen, French celebrity Kylian Mbappe will, the moment again, appear toothless in a Champions League knockout match.
If nearly anything, though, that is additional about Mbappe having a subpar supporting solid as component of a dysfunctional aspect that are not able to carry out in massive video games, rather than any indictment of the player himself.
Mbappe has experienced superior and and negative online games in the Champions League knockouts over the years, and any person who has watched him at the World Cups for France is aware of that he is a best participant on huge phases.
This match will be one of his forgettable kinds, even though. Mbappe did try and developed three chances for his teammates in the to start with leg defeat, but his goal menace was nominal owing to the challenges all-around him. The 25-calendar year-previous upcoming Real Madrid star will run into the actual similar challenges versus a club he will turn into even additional familiar with in the coming many years.
Raphinha will rating once more
No participant in the whole 1st leg of the Champions League quarterfinals – all 8 teams integrated – experienced a more robust unique effectiveness than Brazilian winger Raphinha.
His two targets and all-all-around resourceful engage in proved pivotal in Barca’s 3-2 get about PSG at the Parc des Princes, which sets the stage properly for a powerful 2nd leg from the Blaugrana.
Expect Raphinha to have yet another robust show and uncover the back of the net again. Selling him will turn into an even a lot more complicated conclusion, due to the fact the passionate forward continues to demonstrate he has the “clutch gene” Barcelona want.
Luis Enrique will catch heat
Former Barcelona supervisor Luis Enrique likes to do points his possess way, but his controversial choices normally backfire because the are, pretty frankly, very silly.
Enrique missing the Spanish national group task since of his arrogant push conferences and arrogant selections, deciding upon towards established gamers in favor of unknowns who could not get the job accomplished. He is politically inept in entrance of the push, which is rearing its unattractive head with his vague shots at Kylian Mbappe, even subbing his greatest player at the fifty percent of important league video games.
If Enrique ended up in a much more aggressive league or experienced a much better title challenger like Mauricio Pochettino did in 2020/21 with Lille’s elite protection, then PSG could not be in as strong of a posture and Enrique would be dealing with far more phone calls for his career.
He will be ashamed by his former employers on Tuesday night time in Barcelona and have to respond to to the press for lots of problems, which include eschewing costly striker signings Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani when his workforce requirements goals.
Enrique plays favorites, he doesn’t confess blunders, and he chooses himself more than the players because of to moi. All of that will occur tearing aside at the seams with PSG’s hottest Champions League embarrassment. Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Lionel Messi carried his status lots of decades back, and Enrique has been dwelling off that unwarranted ego due to the fact then. He is the new Rafa Benitez.
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